Thailand’s garments and textile exports surged 28.8 million baht ($866 million) in the first 11 months of 2021. According to the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, Thailand exported 64.8 billion baht ($1.95 billion) of garments and 188.6 billion baht ($5.67 billion) of textiles during the period against $866 million worth of garments and textile exports in the first five months of the 2020/21 financial year.

As per US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service of March 2021, Thailand’s garment and textile industries were decimated in 2020, with 3,000 factories forced to resort to sewing face masks and PPE suits to survive. However, renewed demand from other apparel-producing countries helped these factories return to full capacity. The demand for textile products from the country was driven by India, Vietnam and Indonesia with brands in Europe and the US also increasing their orders for products made from recycled fibers, organic cotton and environmentally-friendly materials.

These factories are currently facing a shortage of upto 50,000 workers and, are dependent on overtime work, which could lead to an influx of migrant workers back to Thailand in search of employment now that the industry has recovered.

India's leading compact cotton yarn manufacturer, SVP Global Ventures has been renamed as, SVP Global Textiles. The company is mainly engaged in manufacturing cotton yarn. It plans to be a fully integrated textile company with forwarding integration into fabric and garments. It has already ventured into technical textiles with an investment of Rs100 crore in setting up a green-field facility at Jhalawar, Rajasthan with a capacity of 4,375 MT per annum.

Established in 1898, by Shri Vallabh Pittie, SVP Group manufactures polyester, polyester and cotton blend, and 100 per cent cotton yarn across 3 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Jhalawar, Rajasthan; Ramnad , Coimbatore and Sohar Oman. The company has a 125-year legacy in textiles and aims to become a world-leading, fully integrated textile company in manufacturing yarn, fabric and garments.

The company is also setting up a 4,375 mt per annum Greenfield facility for technical textiles at Jhalawar, Rajasthan. The facility will manufacture protective uniforms and functional garments, medical textile, mobiltech, anti-odor and antibacterial knitted fabric for medical and cosmetic uses in apparel and expand gradually in other products.

The company plans to commence commercial production in 12 to 15 months and expects around Rs175cr revenue per year from the technical textiles.

Narendra Kumar Goenka, Founder and Managing Director, Texport Industries has been named as the new chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). Being associated with AEPC for over two decades, Goenka was the vice chairman of the apex body of Indian apparel exporters before taking charge as chairman, AEPC. He has assured of all efforts to bring positive change in the sector, find new markets for Indian apparels and boost growth in exports.

Assuming charge of the Council at its Executive Committee meeting, Goenka said, the current positive export trend is likely to accelerate in the last quarter of the year. This major turnaround will be possible due to highly efficient management by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian apparel exporters, he added. Goenka appreciated the proactive approach, leadership and constant support extended to the apparel industry by Minister for Textiles, Industry and Commerce Piyush Goyal and Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman.

He said AEPC looks forward to enhancing exports in both traditional and emerging export markets. He called for fast-tracking of FTAs to give India a level playing field in global markets. Goenka assured the Council that he will be in regular consultation with them while formulating plans and work in coordination with the government for the betterment of the apparel industry.

Television personality, dancer and fitness entrepreneur Amanda Kloots has been named footwear and apparel ambassador by global lifestyle and performance brand Sketchers. Kloots will feature in a multi-platform campaign supporting the brand’s footwear and apparel offering throughout North America. She is a a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, with over 17 years of stage, film and television experience. Most recently, she released her memoir, the New York Times bestseller 'Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero'. She also competed on the 30th season of 'Dancing with The Stars'.

Kloots joins Skechers team of renowned ambassadors including fellow fitness guru Brooke Burke and NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, as well as a slate of athletic icons such as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, former quarterback and broadcaster Tony Romo, former defensive end and broadcaster Howie Long, and more.

The company sells its collections in the US and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 4,170 company- and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. In Q3 FY2021Skechers reported sales of $1.55 billion, up 19.2 percent compared to $1.30 billion in the same period in the previous year. Its net earnings during the quarter increased to $103.1 million.

The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) announced the results of work done during the last term and elected a new chairman and executive committee members for the 2022-2023 term. As per Khmer Times, the meeting with factory owners and representatives of the special economic zones emphasized that all products from the textile industry manufacturing including the clothing, shoes and bags are very important to support the economy.

Ith Samheng, Labor Minster said, the apparel industry regained its growth last year with an increase in the first 10 months of the year. Labour Ministry performed assessments showing successful production in the past which encouraged the industry to continue development.

Sou Ieng, the outgoing GMAC chairman, recalled the joint effort in the past to overcome obstacles and urge the garment, footwear and bag industry to achieve the positive results it has so far. He said, the GMAC members cooperated with the ministry tp actively contribute to the development of the job sector and professional training. He also congratulated Sang for being elected as GMAC president for the new term.

Kong Sang, new Chairman, GMAC, said, he will work hard with the new executive committee members to lead the association’s mission toward further development and support the garment, shoe and handbag industry and to keep in touch with concerned parties of the government especially to encourage a better investment environment.

A new study by Raisin UK has identified Louis Vuitton as the most popular luxury retailer in different countries, by analyzing online shopping habits to see which brand is being searched for the most. As per a Retail Gazette report, Louis Vuitton has been attracting consumers across the world since its inception in 1854. The brand is known for its handbags and high-end ranges costing thousands and pounds and constantly featured on Instagram posts of owners.

As per study, Louis Vuitton attracts an average of 823,000 searches every month as fashionistas a like hunt for the iconic Louis Vuitton print. The brand is hugely popular in the New York fashion scene, as well as in the wardrobes of many Hollywood stars It achieves an incredible 4.09m monthly searches in the US.

The second position has been bagged by Balenciaga which is popular for its quirky, modern, styles donned by Instagram influencers and celebrities on a regular basis. Balenciaga attracts 368,000 searches every month, proving its popularity. Gucci, the home of well-reported family feuds from the 80s, continues to remain popular in the luxury brands market. Gucci also acquires 368,000 searches every month, putting it on par with Balenciaga.

European fashion retail chain C&A plans to severe ties with denim brand partner Mustang by next year. As per a Sourcing Journal report, C&A’s partnership lasted four years where it achieved its goal of targeting new consumer groups and strengthening its jeans assortment in upper price range. It has also improved its sales productivity, says Martijn Van der Zee Chief Merchandise and Sustainability officer, C&A Europe.

Now, the retailer aims to shift focus to its own denim brand. It currently has its own roster of 10 labels including Baby Club, Palomino, Here and There, Clockhouse, Rodeo, Canda, Yessica, Your Sixth Sense, Angelo Litrico and Westbury. The end of this partnership with C&A gives Mustang an opportunity to focus on growth strategies, including improving sustainability, creating a unique shopping experience and strengthening the company’s economic performance. The brand aims to attract the best players in the younger and more international customers age group and increase its brand appeal to generate additional growth, says Andreas Baur, CEO.

To achieve its target of $100 billion textile exports in the next five years, the government needs to incentivize investments across the textile value chain the upcoming budget, says ICRA. According to the rating agency, India is currently on the cusp of a potential growth cycle in the global textile market. Besides the US-China trade war issues, the China Plus One sourcing policy being endorsed by several large consuming regions across the globe, are fuelling this opportunity. India remains one of the potential beneficiaries of the reduction of China’s share in the global textile market.

However, the country faces challenges from other low-cost/more efficient peer nations, the evolving free trade agreement landscape with some peers already enjoying duty-free access to some of the major markets, as well as domestic issues such as infrastructure bottlenecks, says the ICRA report.

The report states, India’s also lags due to the growing shit to MMF garments and technical textiles. Though the government has adopted several policy initiatives including the announcement of the PLI scheme, extension of the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme for apparel and made-ups for three years, announcement of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) rates for the other textile segments and notification of seven textile parks under the PM-MITRA Scheme, during the past one year, their effective implementation remains crucial, for which adequate provisioning in the Budget is necessary, adds the report.

The ICRA report also calls for the extension of the ATUFS scheme or announcement of a new scheme particularly for the downstream segments and/or for captive renewable power capacities to encourage investments and enable the companies to reduce their carbon footprint while being more cost-efficient.

Several fashion and jewelry shows in India have been postponed due to the spread of Omicron across the country. These include the Jewelry show of India which has been postponed. The event was scheduled from January 14 to 16 in Bengaluru. Similarly, organizers of the Home and Personal Ingredients Exhibition and Conference have postponed the event owing to safety reasons due to the pandemic. The show was scheduled to be held from January 27-28, 2022. The Cosmohome Tech Expo, scheduled to run from February 3 to 4 in Mumbai, has also postponed.

Business-to-customer shopping fairs are also being postponed in numerous areas. Fashion exhibition promoting Indian designers to new audiences, The Haat has postponed its January Raipur and Kolkata editions. The event focuses on small and upcoming brands and its postponement is likely to exacerbate financial difficulties faced by these labels.

Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) exports to China have dropped during last couple of years as some 53 items still face duty barriers. COVID-19 pandemic and US-China trade have contributed to the downturn, say experts. These two extraneous factors forced Beijing to look inward to use its capacity to meet local demand. During the first half of the current fiscal, Bangladesh's apparel exports to China dropped 21 per cent to $110.39 million from $139.81 million during the corresponding period of last fiscal.

Abdullah Hil RAKIB, Director, BGMEA said, earlier 226 apparel items in HS8 tariff schedule from Bangladesh used to enjoy duty-free access under the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). And the recent extension of the product coverage by China, published on July 1, 2020, extended the RMG coverage to 299 in HS8 digit. An analysis shows that Bangladesh exported US$506.5 million worth of garments to China in FY2018-19 and 93 items out of these exports enjoyed duty-free access. These 93 items fetched US$308 million, he said, adding that garments worth $198 million had to face duty on entry to China at varying MFN rates (average 16 per cent).

China has reduced its purchase and meets local demand through its own production because of the China-US trade war, says Mohammad Halem, Executive President, BKMEA. Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, Vice President, adds, China's export to the world, including the USA and the European Union, also forced the former country to use its capacity through local consumption.